Destined For Death
by PenPatronus
Summary: COMPLETE Sequel to "Marked for Blood." The time has come for Jayden to face his destiny! As the Red Ranger prepares to seal the Netherworld with his own life, Deker destroys his home and kills his closest friend. The Samurai Rangers are powerless, hopeless, and knee-deep in the Sanzu River. Can they save the world without sacrificing Jayden? J/Mia, Mike/E. Hurt/comfort,romance
1. Deal With Deker

**Summary: **Sequel to "Marked for Blood." The time has come for Jayden to face his destiny! As the Red Ranger prepares seal the Netherworld with his own life, Deker destroys his home and kills his closest friend. The Samurai Rangers are on the run – powerless, hopeless, and knee-deep in the Sanzu River. Can they save the world without sacrificing Jayden? Hurt / comfort, adventure, romance. Jayden / Mia, Mike / Emily.

**Author's Note:** This is the sequel to my story, "Marked for Blood." You don't necessarily have to read that story to get this one, but I recommend it. Reviews are greatly appreciated!

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter One

**Deal With Deker**

_Dear Serena, _

_Hey, sis! So sorry I haven't written in a few weeks. Antonio hijacked my laptop so here's some old-fashioned snail mail! I'm glad your garden is finally getting some rain. I want to plant something here – maybe some tomatoes or strawberries – but I just haven't had the time. We've been busy lately – I have so much to tell you, I don't know where to begin. I'll start with the good news. Remember Mike, the Green Ranger? Well – guess what – we are officially boyfriend and girlfriend! We went on our fourth date yesterday. He wanted pizza but I wanted Chinese, so we got take-out from both places and had a picnic on the beach. With the guys, he's this tough comedian but when it's just the two of us, he's so sweet and gentle. He said that my smile could cure a rainy day. _

_Guess I should get the bad news over with. Maybe writing about it will be therapeutic for me. We had a scary couple of days recently. Master Xandred attacked us. He dried out quickly but, boy, he kicked our butts. Jayden got really beat up. Xandred put some sort of curse on him and he almost died. Well, he did die, actually. Mike, too. It's a long story but in the end, Mentor and Antonio figured out how to save them. We lost a few Zords in the process and all of our morphers. Antonio is working hard to fix the Samuraizers and I hope he finishes before the Nighlock attack us again. There's only so much we can do without our powers! _

_The Tengen Gate was destroyed. We held a funeral for the Guardians. I hope that my flute playing comforted Mentor Ji. Since then we've been cleaning up the grounds and salvaging what we can. We boxed up all of the surviving texts from the library and any important artifacts. Kevin found pieces of a lost power disc buried in what used to be in a wall in the temple. We never would've found it if the Moogers hadn't knocked it over. _

_Right now Mike and Jayden are training, Antonio is working on the Samuraizers and Kevin is trying to figure out how to combine the remaining Zords. I need to finish this letter and go find Mia – she's been really quiet lately – I think she's upset about something but she won't talk about it. It probably has something to do with Jayden. I thought that they were going to, you know, get together, but they've both been really distant. Please pray that Xandred and Serrator leave us alone until we get our powers back! I almost lost two of my best friends and I don't think I could handle that again. _

_Hope to hear from you soon! Tell everyone back home that I said hi and that I'm all right. Hugs, kisses, and best wishes!_

_Love, _

_Emily_

Serrator crumpled up the letter and tossed it into the fire. His six eyes glowed happily at the man standing across from him, beside a cliff overlooking the moonlight-soaked water. "Well done, Deker. I didn't think that following the Red Ranger to the post office would bear fruit. Their Zords and morphers are out of commission… This is the perfect time for my new plan."

"He must not have known that such sensitive information was in that envelope, otherwise he wouldn't have just dropped it in a mailbox for anyone to snatch." Deker fingered the weapon in his hands. "You have the information you need and I have my sword. Now, we part ways."

"Not so fast. I have another job for you."

"You restored my weapon. There is nothing else I want."

"How about your humanity?"

Deker rarely showed emotion but this unexpected offer fractured his sphinx expression. Foreign hope appeared in his eyes. "You have the power to restore me to a full-blooded human?"

"I do." Serrator walked around the fire and stood nose to nose with Deker.

"Then I will do anything." Deker knelt in front of the Nighlock and bowed his head. "I will do whatever you wish."

"I thought you'd say that. Rise." Serrator stood on the edge of a cliff and glared at the moon. The silver light made his armor look twice as strong. "The Red Ranger… he is part Nighlock, like yourself. As was his mother. And yet, despite the symbol power protection surrounding the Shiba House, both of them could enter it. Full Nighlock like me can't breach the grounds, but half-Nighlock can."

"Stabbing the Red Ranger in his sleep is not an honorable victory. It would bring me little pleasure."

"Observe the Rangers closer, Deker, and you see that their own safety is not their greatest concern. If you really want to hurt the Red Ranger, hurt his friends."

"What do you have in mind?"

Serrator's grin widened. He knelt on the earth, drew shapes in the sand with his forefinger and explained his plan.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Duel in the Rain

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Two

**Duel in the Rain**

Jayden woke from a nightmare and sat up so quickly in bed that he almost rolled right off it. He gasped and clasped his head between his hands. It was half past midnight, and it was storming. Rain struck his bedroom window but his pounding heart blocked most of the noise. Crossing his legs under him, stretching his neck and taking deep breaths, Jayden managed to calm himself down. Although he was composed, his sixth sense – and seventh, and eighth – was still on high alert. Jayden had no name for the sensation; he only knew that something in the Shiba House felt wrong.

Jayden tiptoed, barefoot, and only wearing pajamas, towards the kitchen. Antonio was passed out on a couch with the Red Ranger's broken morpher in his hand. He used one of the laptops as a pillow and still wore his gold sneakers. Jayden grabbed a blanket and draped it across his old friend. Poor Antonio was so determined to fix the Samuraizers that he barely slept more than two or three hours a night. Jayden felt a pressure on his heart that he recognized as pride.

The kitchen light was off, and Jayden left it that way. A lantern in the patio outside the window illuminated the small stock of snacks on the counter. He reached for a granola bar but suddenly – almost without thought – took a defensive position: knees bent, fists up. He saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing, but his instincts told him he was threatened. Jayden squinted and looked out the window. Then – almost faster than the eye could see – a dark figure sprinted across the yard. A dark figure carrying something over one shoulder. Lightning-quick chemicals in Jayden's mind narrowed his focus. In less than a blink of an eye, he realized what he saw:

Deker carrying Mia – Deker _kidnapping_ Mia – and drawing blood-red Nighlock symbols in the air with his sword as he ran towards the gate.

Jayden didn't think, he reacted. His morpher was inoperative in Antonio's hand so he grabbed the first "weapons" within arm's reach: a wooden rolling pin and a 500-year-old year old quarterstaff recovered from the Tengen Gate. Jayden pounced through the door and onto the patio with no shoes, no armor, no morpher, no umbrella and no back up. He flung the rolling pin like a javelin. It hit Decker in the back of the knee and sent the half-Nighlock soaring into the fence instead of through the gate. Mia – her arms and legs tied up – tumbled off his shoulder and onto the rain-soaked grass. She spit out a cloth gag, coughed and cried, "_Jayden_!"

Jayden didn't hear her. His rage – fueled by fear – drowned out everything in the universe except for Deker. The Red Ranger leapt through the air and brought the ancient quarterstaff down on Deker's head, but his sword blocked it at the last second. With a war cry, Deker jumped to his feet and swung his weapon. Jayden leaned back, limbo style, and the blade missed his throat by inches. He back-flipped to Mia and placed his body between her and Deker. His feet were freezing and the cold rain chilled him to the bone. Jayden raised his weapon and stood his ground.

Deker twirled his sword and transformed into his Nighlock self. "What's the matter, Red Ranger? Where is your sword?" the blood red, skull-faced monster asked. "You have no chance at defeating me without your powers."

Jayden ground his teeth together so hard that they squeaked. "If you want me, here I am. Leave Mia alone."

Deker's weapon glistened in the silver moonlight. "My sword will pierce your heart soon, Red Ranger, but not now. I have a different mission tonight." Again Deker drew a Nighlock symbol in the air. It was shaped vaguely like a flame, like the symbol scarred on Jayden's back. And then it glowed neon red and smoke erupted from every inch of the Shiba House grounds as a spell was cast. The fog obscured the scene and Jayden realized too late that Decker was taking advantage of the strange haze. Sharp iron sprung at Jayden like a coiled snake. His quarterstaff took most of the hit, and broke in half, but the left side of Jayden's abdomen endured a deep, six-inch long slice. The Red Ranger was running on so much adrenaline, though, he barely noticed.

Two cartwheels later, Jayden took position again in front of Mia. "You're working for Serrator again, aren't you?" Jayden accused. "What did he offer you this time?"

Jayden's blood trickled from the end of Deker's sword. Deker inhaled deeply as if that scent in his nostrils invigorated him. "He swore to restore my humanity."

Jayden shook his head partially in awe and partially because his wet bangs got in his eyes. "You're a fool!" he shouted over the thunder. "Serrator will double-cross you, you know he will!"

"I'll take my chances," Deker growled. His eyes glowed from white to red.

Jayden attacked with a speed he didn't know was possible outside of his Ranger form. With half a quarterstaff in each hand he barreled down on Deker and landed hits on his enemy's wrist and stomach. Deker retaliated swiftly. Knowing that the cracked wood couldn't block Deker's blade, Jayden dodged the attack. For several moments it was just Jayden running, jumping, sliding, flipping his way around the yard. He got off one or two lucky punches but had to retreat immediately to avoid the sword. Then Deker kicked one half of the staff away and used the other to smack Jayden between the eyes. Dazed, Jayden went down, hard.

When he looked up he saw Deker's sword dropping like a guillotine.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Mia's Secret

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Three

**Mia's Secret**

It was a life-or-death situation. Mia knew that. She was also helplessly hog-tied with nothing to do but watch and shout, "Jayden!" or "Look out!" or "Oh no!" over and over. She couldn't even sit up or roll over because of the muddy rain puddles. She also couldn't help but watch and think – _damn_ – Jayden. Shiba. Is. _Beyond_. Sexy. His wise blue eyes, his plump lips, his sharp cheekbones and hair that looked perfect no matter the length. Those strong shoulders and arms with streams of rain and sweat flowing over the muscle. The way the tendons in his neck flexed. The way his jaw set and his teeth clenched in concentration.

The way he defended her with his life.

Mia kicked herself mentally – and probably would've physically if she could. She couldn't afford to think of Jayden that way anymore. Not after what she heard. Not after she accidentally eavesdropped on Ji and Jayden's conversation on the patio. She'd been walking around (moping, actually) for almost two weeks with the weighty knowledge that Jayden wouldn't / couldn't be with her because, soon, he would die. She barely talked to him, barely looked at him. Not for the first time Mia wondered what would break her heart first: keeping the secret or shouting it?

Red fog erupted geyser-like from every pore of the grounds. Mia squinted. Something materialized in the air – a hundred somethings. Power symbols. Power symbols covered in flame, melting, disintegrating. Jayden's gasp of pain lassoed her attention. Deker's sword flung droplets of hot blood across the yard and a few landed on Mia's cheek. The Pink Ranger's mood shifted like the storm clouds above. Fear replaced all conscious thought. The duel seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Jayden took a hit. He dropped to his knees. The sword descended and Mia screamed.

None of them heard Antonio coming. The Gold Ranger tackled Deker around the waist and they both rolled out the gate. A stampede of footsteps, splashing through the rain, followed. The others were awake and chasing Deker away. Jayden looked relieved, but then he swayed and clutched his side. The pain distracted him but he pivoted and crawled across the yard. His fingers, shaking with pain and slippery from blood and water, fumbled with Mia's bonds.

"Are you all right?" Mia whispered. He nodded, but didn't speak. "I was asleep in bed – he came through my window – he jumped on me – Jayden, I tried to fight him off but I couldn't… I was so scared, I'm so sorry."

His grey sweatpants were turning red from all of the blood running down his body. "It's ok," Jayden whispered. "I'm just glad you're safe – so glad."

He freed her hands and Mia embraced him. Every recent thought of avoiding him to spare her own feelings went out the proverbial window. She kissed his cheek and rubbed her hands down his back. "You're shaking. You're cold."

"You're safe," he sighed against her neck.

Mia sat back, sniffed, and then leaned in and kissed him. Gently, she used her tongue to part his lips. The heat of her mouth made Jayden forget all about the cold rain and the pain in his gut. He closed his eyes, clutched Mia's waist and thrust his tongue between her teeth. His soft, moist lips massaged hers with frustrating gentleness.

"Wait," Jayden suddenly gasped, "I – I shouldn't do this. Mia, I've been meaning to talk to you…"

"Don't bother," she said, sharper and less patient than she intended. "I mean, I know. I heard you and Ji talking. I know you don't want to be with me."

"What? It's not that," Jayden said as he touched her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I want you – I _want_ you, Mia, but –"

"But you're going to die." Mia was shocked by the deadpan in her voice. "I heard that, too."

Jayden's jaw dropped. Any comment he would've made was interrupted when Ji, Antonio, Emily, Kevin and Mike ran over. Emily almost knocked Mia over with a hug. Antonio knelt behind Jayden so that the wounded Ranger could lean back comfortably against him. "Oh, man, not again," Mike said when he saw Jayden's wound. "That son of a bitch!"

"Did he get away?" Jayden asked.

"He jumped into a gap," Kevin reported. "He's gone."

Ji tore off one of his sleeves and pressed the fabric against Jayden's side. His eyes almost glowed red with anger. "You're going to need stitches," he said.

"Mentor, I saw Deker cast some sort of spell," said Mia. "I think I saw the power symbols that guard the house."

Ji looked up at the clouds and frowned. It almost looked like he smelled something but couldn't pinpoint the source. The mentor shut his eyes and breathed deeply. "I don't sense them," he whispered to anybody and everybody. "The protective symbols surrounding the Shiba House, the symbols that keep the Nighlock out… They're gone."

Mike spoke aloud what everyone was thinking: "Oh, crap."

"How did Deker figure out how to take down those symbol powers?" Kevin wondered.

"He didn't do it on his own," Jayden said through gritted teeth.

Ji had a theory. "This is why Serrator attacked the Tengen Gate. He probably confiscated some of the archives, including the protection spells."

"I wonder what else he got," Jayden whispered hoarsely. "Could be anything…"

"How are the Samuraizers coming, Antonio?" Ji asked.

"Faster than I thought," Antonio said, "but it will still take some time."

"Concentrate on Jayden's, all right? I'd rather have one completely fixed as opposed to all of them half-way done. If Deker took out the protection symbols, the Shiba House is no longer safe."

Kevin frowned. "You don't know how to reestablish them?"

"Believe me, if I knew how to summon those symbols I would wrap them around each of you like bubble wrap."

"If it's not safe here," Mike wondered, "does that mean…"

Ji ducked his head. "It means that we have to leave, at least for now. Clearly the Nighlock know where we live and Deker, at least, knows you don't have your powers."

"Where are we going to go?" Emily asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I just want us to get on the road as soon as possible and we'll figure it out from there. We need to pack up by dawn, at the latest – essentials only. Kevin, I want you to oversee that. Make sure that all of the weapons, books, food and supplies are in the car. And then-"

The gap alarm suddenly wailed.

**To Be Continued**


	4. Ji vs Serrator

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Four

**Ji vs. Serrator**

Ji's voice pierced Jayden's semi-conscious head. "What? No sign of the Nighlock at all?" the mentor asked. Jayden opened his eyes and watched Ji pin an emergency cell phone between his ear and shoulder. "Did you sweep the mall twice, Kevin?" Ji tied the final knot of Jayden's fifty plus stitches and cut off the extra with a tiny pair of scissors. The mentor chuckled slightly at the Blue Ranger's answer. "Four times. Of course. Well, give it one more go then get back here and help us pack. Yeah – see you soon." Ji pocketed the cell and grabbed a package of gauze. Jayden on a couch in the dojo. He winced but didn't cry out while the stitches were sewn with no anesthetic, not even a Tylenol. Even the feather pressure of the gauze and bandages felt like Deker's sword all over again.

Ji finished up and pulled Jayden's shirt back down. "My brave boy," he whispered, and patted Jayden on the cheek. "You fought well against Deker."

Jayden smiled with his eyes, but not his stone face. "The others didn't find anything?"

"No. No Nighlock, no Moogers. Perhaps a gap sensor malfunctioned or whatever came out of the Netherworld retreated back in immediately."

"Or went somewhere else before they got there." Jayden sat up, with Ji's help, and hugged his wound. "Deker escaped into a gap and then five minutes later the alarm goes off? That can't be a coincidence."

"Don't worry about that right now," said Ji. "The rest of us have to pack up the Shiba house but I want you in bed, getting some rest."

"I'm fine. It's just a few stitches, Ji. It doesn't even hurt anymore."

Ji smiled patiently. "You're a good liar, Jayden, but you cannot fool me. Go lie down. I'll wake you when it's time to get on the road."

"_Amigos_!" Antonio called from the hallway. The Gold Ranger sprinted into the dojo and knelt in front of Jayden. "Ready for some good news, bro?"

Jayden just raised an eyebrow.

"Here." Antonio held the Red Ranger's morpher like it was a newborn baby. "It's got half-power. Well, one-third."

Jayden flipped the morpher open and stared at the cracked screen. His symbol power floated in the middle, flickered out of sight and then reappeared. Jayden instantly felt better: less frail, less naked with the morpher in his hands. "What can it do now?"

Antonio shrugged. "Not much. You could probably create a simple sword and summon a Zord but that's about it."

"I'll take it. Well done, Antonio," Ji said, and patted him on the back.

Jayden gave his morpher a weary look. "Should I test it or something?"

Antonio nodded. He swung his backpack onto the floor and rummaged through it. "Just let me get you some protective goggles, just in case."

Both of Jayden's eyebrows bounced up. "In case of what?"

"I just fixed it – like – ninety seconds ago, dude. It might spit out a spark or two."

Jayden wasn't reassured. He was about to comment when all three men heard the sound of shattering glass and cracking wood. They looked at the door and saw it in two pieces on the floor. A Nighlock walked out of the moonlit patio and into the dojo. The protective symbols, if they were still there, would've kept him from getting within fifty yards of the house. Now, thanks to Deker, anyone could stroll on in.

"There you are!" the Nighlock roared at Jayden. "I'm here for your life, Red Ranger."

"Serrator, I presume?" Ji whispered to Jayden and Antonio. "I can't say it's nice to meet – _look out_!"

Serrator conjured a ball of fire in his hand and lobbed it like a baseball. Ji, Jayden and Antonio dove out of the way and the couch exploded. Serrator wasn't done. Two more fireballs – one at the wall and one at the ceiling – sent sparks and debris showering on them as hard as the rain falling outside. Jayden rolled into a corner and covered his head. His ears were ringing and some of his stitches ripped. When he got to his knees, he saw that the entire kitchen was on fire, as was the ceiling of the dojo. Serrator blocked his view then. The Nighlock stood over Jayden with a fire in his hands and a wide, victorious grin made of his fanged teeth.

A body flipped over Serrator and swung at him with a broadsword. _Ji_. Serrator unsheathed his own weapon and retaliated. "Jayden!" Ji shouted when he blocked the first thrust. "Summon the Lion Zord – now!" Ji gave a war cry and attacked Serrator with all of his fury. The two fighters moved away from Jayden and into the center of the room.

Jayden would've loved to join his mentor in such a duel but he had a job to do. Knowing that using symbol power in his weakened condition would be exhausting, if not dangerous, Jayden raised his morpher and directed the lion to land by the house. Fear and adrenaline kept him from toppling over from the draining symbol power. He pocketed his morpher and crawled towards a pair of golden sneakers sticking out from underneath a pile of ceiling tiles. White smoke filled the house and forced Jayden to keep his face as close to the ground as possible. By the time he reached Antonio the smoke was turning black, the heat from the growing fire made him feel feverish and Ji drove Serrator outside into the yard. Both of them grunted with effort as they dueled.

Jayden was relieved that Antonio started pushing up on the debris as he pulled. When the Gold Ranger emerged, he looked far more furious than hurt. The two friends helped each other stand up and ran out of the house, only stopping to shoulder Antonio's backpack. Jayden inhaled sweet oxygen and instantly felt his head clear. Antonio was coughing violently. He stood with his hands braced against his knees and his eyes watching, in awe, as Serrator and Ji dueled. Those eyes widened considerably when the lion Zord roared at the scene before it touched down just outside the gate.

Ji saw it, too. "Both of you get in there, now!" he shouted at the boys. The mentor looked slightly sluggish. The duel was wearing him out. "Open the side hatch in the air and I'll jump in when I can!"

"Yes, sir!" Antonio responded. He took Jayden's elbow and led him around the outer edge of the yard to avoid Serrator. The Nighlock's expression was full of rage layered with shock. Clearly the last person he expected to give him a run for his money was this older man who wasn't even a Power Ranger.

Jayden took the Zord's controls and took flight. He watched the duel below them with a heavy heart and nauseous stomach. His mentor was still on his feet, but Serrator was starting to get the upper hand. The Red Ranger was a half-second away from telling Antonio to get down there and help Ji when Serrator unleashed a deafening roar. Jayden thought he said, "That's enough!" Another ball of fire appeared in his hand. Ji leapt to the side to avoid the flames and realized too late that it was just a distraction.

Serrator tossed the fire behind him, pivoted and swung his weapon in a diagonal line from his ankle to Ji's ear, piercing the mentor's abdomen, chest and shoulder with lightning speed. Jayden wasn't sure what he witnessed. It felt impossible – impossible that Ji was bleeding…

…falling to his knees…

…gasping…

…landing facedown after a last, undefinable look at the boys in the Zord above him…

…dying right there, right then in front of his "son," beside his burning house.

Jayden told himself to land the Zord right on the Nighlock's head or leap out of it to continue the duel. His brain ordered him but his heart froze the time and space around him. As if from a distance, through mirages and muddy waters, Jayden saw Antonio shove him aside, take the controls and steer the Zord away from the ashes of the Shiba house and the fallen warrior.

**To Be Continued**


	5. The First Test

Review if you love this chapter! (You're going to _love_ this chapter.)

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Five

**The First Test**

The dawn found Jayden Shiba kneeling on a remote beach. He closed his eyes and breathed the salt-laced sea breeze deep into his lungs. Antonio, Emily, Kevin, Mia and Mike watched through the Lion Zord's windshield. They just finished a meager breakfast. Jayden let Emily re-bandage his side but refused to eat anything. Their grief for Ji was like a sword against their throats. The others didn't believe Jayden and Antonio's story when they picked them up at the mall. One fly-by over the demolished Shiba house erased all hope. Their mentor was gone. Their leader, wounded. The Tengen Gate Guardians were gone. Their home and everything in it was gone. Antonio completed Jayden, Kevin and Mia's morphers but the other three were still out of commission.

Jayden's eyes were still red when he entered the Zord. "It's time," he announced, all business. "It's time to use the Sealing Symbol. No more lives will be lost on our watch."

Kevin spoke to Jayden like he was a lost infant. "Are you sure you're strong enough?"

"I will be. I have to be."

"That's not good enough, Jayden," said Mia.

He ignored her and flipped open his morpher. "If I'm not back by noon I want you to find a safe place and lay low until your morphers work again."

Emily and Mike shared the same bewildered look. "Back? Back from where?" Emily asked.

"I have to go find the symbol."

"Find it?" Mike gulped. "What are you talking about? Don't you know it?"

Jayden held his chin high and looked at each of them as he spoke. "I know half of it. Shiba's are born with the knowledge. But, to keep the secret safe from the Nighlock, our ancestors decided long ago to hide the second half in a secret location that only a Red Ranger could reach. That way, if one of us got tortured or brainwashed into revealing the secret we wouldn't know all of it."

Antonio looked out the window. "It's here, isn't it? That's why you brought us to this beach."

Jayden nodded. He looked more than sad. He looked… deflated. "There's an opening to a cave hidden among the rocks. It's marked with the Samurai emblem."

"Coolio," said Antonio. "That's great – we'll go spelunking for five minutes, take a nap, and beat the bad guys."

"It's not that simple," Jayden sighed.

"I knew he'd say that," Mike whispered to Emily.

The Red Ranger pocketed his morpher and rolled up his sleeves. He got that look on his face – that focused determination. His jaw set and his eyes narrowed. "The security is complex. My father told me that the Red Ranger has to endure three tests to reach the symbol, and he has to do it alone. I remember when he went on the quest. He was gone all day and when he got home…" Jayden shook his head. "I was just a kid. He didn't want to scare me with the details."

"So we have no idea what we're up against?" Mia asked.

"There's no _us_!" Jayden snapped. "I'm going into the cave, you five are staying here. I don't want to hear another word about it, understand?" Jayden turned on his heel and went back down to the beach.

Each Ranger looked at the other. Expressions shifted from bewilderment to annoyance, anxiety to anger and, finally, determination. Kevin spoke first. "I'm not letting him go in there alone. We'll follow him at a distance and back him up when he needs it – agreed?" The others nodded and followed Kevin out the door.

Jayden found the Samurai symbol carved into a stone halfway up the cliff face. He rubbed his fingers over it and wondered how many other Red Rangers had touched the same spot. Legend had it that some entered the cave and never returned. One supposedly emerged two weeks later and died from starvation before his team found him. Another went mad and a third was so badly wounded when he escaped that he died before he described what bit him. The cave was built to keep out the Nighlock. It was built to keep the secret power safe but that power was useless if the Red Ranger didn't survive to use it!

"I wish you were here," Jayden whispered to the memories he had of Ji and his father. "I don't think I can do this without you… but I'll try." He pressed the symbol as if it were a doorbell. The rocks before him opened like a curtain and Jayden entered the cave. Striated crystals in the dome-like ceiling let in just enough sunlight to illuminate four or five feet in front of Jayden. The rocks smelled old, like the pages of the lost archives. The air was dry and humid and Jayden started to sweat after the first fifty yards down the hallway. Every moment he expected to trip over a Nighlock skeleton or feel a monster grab his ankle. Maybe the cavern would flood with water or the ceiling would cave in. Every conceivable danger entered Jayden's mind. Suddenly he felt ten-years-old.

The hall curved left and led to a dead end. Jayden found himself in a circular chamber of smooth marble with no visible exits. Spread equidistant around the room were six wooden levers embedded in the wall. Jayden slowly pulled down on the first one to his left. He heard a creaking sound and winced. When he opened his eyes he saw that a six-by-six section of the far wall had moved on hidden hinges. It was a door.

Jayden sighed with relief and left the lever behind to walk through. The moment he let go, though, the hidden door slammed shut. Jayden backtracked and pulled the lever again. Once more the door opened but immediately shut when he stepped away. Jayden was a wise, patient man. A wise, patient man who shouted, "_Shit_!" and kicked the wall.

"I bet you have to pull down every lever at the same time," said a voice behind him. Jayden whirled around and found Antonio leaning against the wall with a world-class smirk. "Looks like you need six people," he said with an innocent voice while he pretended to check his nails. "Now where are you going to find five friends to help you?" Kevin, Mike, Mia and Emily joined him.

Half of Jayden was enraged that they disobeyed his orders and risked their lives. The other half, the half that felt hopeless a second before, had never been so happy to see them. He offered them a tired smile that communicated several things at once: sorry I yelled at you, sorry I haven't learned that I need your help, sorry to drag you into this situation. What he said aloud was "Thanks, guys."

The six Rangers pulled on the levers. When all six were in the down position they locked with a loud metallic click and the door remained open. "Interesting first test," Antonio said as they walked toward the next chamber. His self-righteous sarcasm was still there. "It's like the ancient Samurai knew that Red Rangers tend to be too independent for their own good."

Jayden's relief was like cold water in a desert. "I bet that they also thought Red Rangers are too proud and stubborn to admit when they're wrong. I'm not. Thanks for your help."

Mike patted Jayden on the shoulder. "You know, that was a pretty easy test. I was expecting a rogue Zord or a pissed off Sasquatch or –"

"…or a giant, eight-headed snake?" Emily whispered from the front of the group.

"Yeah, exactly, like a… a…" Mike saw what she saw. "Oh boy," he said in a voice two octaves higher than usual.

The hallway led to a bigger, taller, wider chamber. The sleeping, Hydra-like creature in the center appeared to be as long as a dozen school buses and as thick as the Washington Monument.

It heard them coming.

Sixteen green eyes opened and eight fanged mouths roared.

**To Be Continued**


	6. The Second Test

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Six

**The Second Test**

"Oh," Jayden said to himself, "that's what bit that Ranger. Does anybody have any alcohol?"

Antonio didn't look at Jayden when he spoke. His eyes were transfixed on the enormous reptile rising before them. "Jay, this is hardly the time for a drink."

"There's an ancient Japanese myth about this creature," Jayden explained. "An eight-headed serpent that ate young girls. A warrior built a fence with eight gates and placed barrels of alcohol at the entrances. The creature drank until it fell asleep. Then the warrior cut off its heads."

"I don't have a fence," Antonio squeaked.

"I don't have any barrels," said Mike.

"I don't have a morpher!" Emily whispered. "Jayden… Jayden? W – What should we do?"

"Kill it." Everyone stared at Mia. "We'll work together as a team like we always have. Those of us with Samuraizers will armor-up and try to distract each head. We'll give the rest of you our weapons so you can attack when it's not looking. Sound like a plan?"

Mike gave her a lazy salute. "Yes, ma'am."

The creature rose to its full height and fixed its eyes on them. Jayden stepped to the front of the group and unsheathed his morpher. He transformed into the Red Ranger and handed his spin sword to Mike. Kevin gave his sword to Antonio and Mia to Emily. Jayden took a deep breath. "Let's do this, guys," he said, willing his voice to sound confident. He sprinted straight in.

Jayden expected the serpent to be strong. He didn't expect it to be so fast! Four of its heads shot down so quickly that Jayden just barely avoided their teeth. He somersaulted to the side and then immediately did a pair of backflips. The creature shrieked in pain when one of its noses smacked into the marble floor where he'd been standing. Disoriented, it didn't put up a fight when Jayden straddled it like a horse. Head number two dove at him. At the last second – half of a second, actually – Jayden leapt into the air and the snake's fangs bit down on its own neck. It was like a shark biting a lollypop. The first head leaked black blood as it was flung across the room. The headless neck collapsed to the floor and went still.

Kevin slid under the second neck and then leapt straight up. He wrapped his arms around the monster's windpipe and squeezed with all of his strength. It took a long ninety seconds but the snake suffocated. Kevin tried the same tactic with the third. That one fought back, though. It shook its head like a wet dog and tossed Kevin away. The distraction worked. Antonio sliced the throat right where Kevin had hung and the third neck dropped.

Mia managed to tie two in a knot. She was quicker than their teeth, and more maneuverable. A flip here, a flip there and the serpents found themselves tied up and stuck. Emily stabbed one in the eye (and promptly squealed with disgust) then used Mia's sky fan to decapitate the other. The girls weren't paying attention, though, and failed to notice that they were surrounded by two more. Antonio launched Kevin's Hydro Bow. He didn't aim for the snake, though. If he shot the head on the left then the one on the right would still swallow them both. The Gold Ranger crossed his fingers and fired the bow at the girls, knocking them away to safety. The two heads collided and Antonio thought he heard their teeth crack. They roared at each other and started to fight. The one on the left beheaded his brother and then looked around for another target.

"Mike!" Jayden shouted. He took out a disk and tossed it to the Green Ranger like a Frisbee. Mike turned Jayden's sword into blast mode and the seventh head was barbecued.

Mike pumped his fist in celebration. His guard was down for only a moment but that was long enough for a forked tongue to spit out of the smoke and wrap around his waist. Mike would've been eaten alive if Kevin hadn't come out of nowhere and sliced the beast's tongue off. The Green and Blue Rangers rolled to the side where they ended up on their stomachs beside the cannon. Mike reached for it but Jayden got there first.

Jayden had time to grab the cannon and lift it, but not to fire.

The eighth snake head swallowed him whole.

"_Jayden_!" five voices screamed. They barely heard themselves, though, because the snake suddenly exploded from the inside. The cannon blast launched Jayden like a rocket. In a passable impression of a pinball machine he bounced off the ceiling and the wall before he landed on the floor, doused in black goop. The others leapt over the dead snakes and pulled him to his feet. Jayden's red armor disappeared, splashing Kevin with snake blood.

Dazed and dizzy, Jayden staggered against them but caught his breath quickly. "Victory is ours," he mumbled with a drunk grin. "Nice job, team." Mia and Emily hugged him from both sides and the guys patted his back and shoulders.

"That was unreal." Antonio tried to wipe the black funk from his hair but only got messier.

"That kicked ass," Mike concluded. Emily embraced him and, ignoring the fact that they were both wet, smelly and slimy, kissed him. Kevin and Antonio made fake gagging sounds and led the way to the other side of the room. A door had opened the moment the last head died.

"Hey, guys, I need to talk to Jayden really quick," Mia said when they all got to the door. "We'll catch up in a minute."

Mike raised his eyebrow at Jayden as he walked by. The others shared "knowing" looks as well but politely left the chamber to give them privacy. The Red and Pink ranger stood by side under the shadowy archway. Jayden scratched the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "Uh, what's up?" he asked Mia. "That was, uh, pretty gross, huh?"

Mia's face remained unchanged. "Jayden," she said, "I just wanted to tell you that… in case there's an even bigger snake in the next room that eats us all… I just wanted to tell you that…" Looking into his bright blue eyes derailed her thoughts and turned her cheeks red. She looked at the stone floor and forced her breaths to even out before she faced him again. "Whatever happens, I don't have any regrets and… I know I said this before, but, I love you, Jayden."

His expression was unreadable. Only his eyes betrayed the emotion that statement conjured. "If I wasn't destined to die, if I did have a lifetime to live…" he whispered. "I would give it to you." He stepped so close that he towered over her. He sensed the heat of her skin, felt her breaths tickle the fine hairs on his chin.

Mia dropped her eyes. A tear fell off her cheek and landed on the stone floor between them. Suddenly Jayden put the knuckle of his forefinger beneath her chin and forced her to meet his eyes. His chin quivered once, twice. And then his lips crashed against hers.

Being pinned against the wall by Jayden's kisses was the most delightful sensation Mia had ever experienced. He nuzzled her neck, combed her hair with his long fingers, and braced his right leg between hers. She cried out his name through a gasp and a fierce passion ignited in them both. In perfect sync, Jayden cupped the back of her knees and she jumped slightly so that he could lift her up. She linked her ankles behind his lower back and squeezed. Jayden groaned. She wrapped her arms behind his head and pulled every inch of him flush against her body. Jayden's mouth was so warm around her tongue. His tongue was moist and soft as it explored her. A sweet, aching, almost painful sensation made Mia feel like a senseless animal. She almost lost all concept of reality when he suddenly growled and ground his lower body against hers.

Emily's scream shook them both out of a fog of pleasure. "_Jayden_ – _JAYDEN_!"

Mia and Jayden sprinted down the hall and burst into the third chamber. Five people were there: Emily, Antonio, Kevin, Mike and…

…another Jayden Shiba.

**To Be Continued**


	7. The Third Test

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Seven

**The Third Test**

Ruby crystals illuminated the scene in a hellish red glow. The moment Mia crossed the threshold into the chamber an invisible force bound her wrists behind her back and shoved her against the wall. The others were already lined up there, stuck and squirming. Helpless.

For Jayden, looking at his own doppelganger scared him more than the giant serpent. The twin stood in the center with his arms crossed against his chest, wearing the exact same street clothes Jayden had on (complete with a bandage visible through a tear in his shirt). The eyes were the same, the expression, the tendons in his neck, the curve of his jaw.

Jayden realized that he had grown up to look like his father.

"I remember him," the other Jayden spoke with his voice. "He was a coward. But being a coward is better than being a monster like a half-Nighlock like you."

Jayden recoiled. How had that thing read his mind? "What are you?" he asked it. "Some sort of spirit?"

Other Jayden curled the left corner of his lips. "A life-force not unlike your Zords. Created, given thought and power and purpose, then imprisoned here for eternity. Sentenced to guarding objects I care nothing about."

Jayden slid two steps to his left to place himself between Other Jayden and his team. "You upped the stakes on these tests, didn't you? The original Guardians meant for this to be deadly for Nighlock, not Rangers."

Other Jayden's snake-like smile was proud. "I got bored. I made some… improvements. Flexed my creativity."

"Created a giant snake?"

"You should feel lucky. When your father and his team faced it there were ten heads."

"Lucky me." Jayden walked closer to the being, determined to face it head on. "If this is the final test, get on with it. I have work to do."

Other Jayden was enjoying this. He stuffed his hands casually in his pockets and cocked his head to the left. "Why did you let Serrator kill Ji?"

To say that Jayden was floored is an understatement. "I – I…" he stammered. "There was nothing I could do."

"Don't lie to _yourself_, Jayden Shiba," Other Jayden smirked. "You could've left Antonio behind. You should have!"

Jayden turned ghost-white. "No. I did my best. I was wounded."

"Has that ever stopped you from saving lives before? Admit it, you were _scared_."

"Don't listen to him, Jayden!" Kevin yelled.

"You let Deker escape," Other Jayden said – his voice rising from casual to angry. "You could've stopped him but – no – you decided that it was more important to kiss the pretty girl. How many innocent people will die because you let your heart dictate your decisions? You're going to let everyone down: your friends, your mentor, your father, your ancestors."

Jayden couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was like every secret negative thought in him had been transformed into daggers and flung into his chest.

"Jay!" Antonio called from behind him. "This is the test! You won't be strong enough to handle the Sealing Symbol if you don't confront your own thoughts and fears!"

Other Jayden began to orbit around him. Somehow he seemed to grow a half inch with every step. "I can see your heart and read your mind, Jayden. You don't want to die. You want to abandon this city to its fate. Have a real life. Have a wife and kids."

Jayden bowed his head and stared at the floor. Emily called his name but he didn't react.

Other Jayden suddenly stepped towards the rest of the Rangers. "He lied to you. He's still lying to you, still keeping secrets. Why do you trust him? Because you knew him when you were a kid?" Other Jayden asked Antonio. "Because he's the Red Ranger?" he asked Mike, then turned to Kevin and said, "Because of blind loyalty?" Mia was next: "Because you're attracted?" And, finally, Emily, "Because he's brave and you admire him? How well do you really him?" Other Jayden asked them all. "You risk your lives for a man who keeps secrets, for a man who puts you in danger, for a man who makes choices for all of you without even asking your opinions!"

"Shut up," Kevin snapped. "We follow Jayden because –" He gagged on his own sentence. Other Jayden stole his voice.

"Rhetorical questions!" Other Jayden yelled. He turned back to Jayden and circled around him like a shark zeroing in on a meal. "Here is your test, Red Ranger. Two questions. You must answer honestly. If you lie, I'll know. Are you prepared?"

Jayden Shiba took a deep breath, stood up straight to his full height, made eye contact with the doppelganger and said, "I'm ready."

"Question number one: what secret do you still keep from your teammates?"

Jayden's pale face looked pink in the odd light. After half a moment of hesitation, he spoke, and made eye contact with the other Rangers as he did. "I'll be killed when I seal Xandred and the other Nighlock in the Netherworld. I've known since I was a child. Death is my destiny. I didn't tell you because I was afraid. Afraid that you would no longer be my friends because of the pain that relationship would cause you. Or, even worse, that you would spend all of your time and energy – risk your lives – to try and save me from this fate and then get killed in the process. My father tried to find a loophole. Not only did he die, but his team as well, and he failed to permanently seal the Netherworld. And… and I was scared that if you begged me not to do it, to avoid my death that I… I wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. I would choose to be… selfish."

Tears hovered in Emily's eyes but, like Kevin, her voice was gone. Her tears spoke volumes, though. Emily always seemed to be immune to hopelessness, but not this time.

Other Jayden's eyes glowed with sadistic glee. "Question number two…" He reached into his pocket and withdrew a glass vial the size of his pinky. "Are you truly ready to make sacrifices? Because one of your teammates must die right here, right now, for me to let you pass."

"_What_?" Jayden exclaimed.

"Who will it be?"

"I… I have to choose who will _die_?"

The being placed the vial in Jayden's palm. "You claim that you would risk everything, sacrifice anything to save the world. Prove it. Right now. Pour this poison down one of their throats and I'll give you the Sealing Symbol."

"No." Jayden held the vial at arm's length and backed away. "I won't. I won't do it."

"Choose one or I'll kill them all!" Other Jayden bellowed. "I won't reveal the symbol until someone in this room dies!"

"Someone in this room has to die…" Jayden whispered to himself. His fist wrapped around the vial.

Other Jayden's voice echoed inside their very bones. "Choose – _choose __**now**_!"

Jayden shared looks with Kevin and Antonio, Mike and Emily, and, finally, with Mia. The whole world held its breath. Jayden whispered, "I choose me."

Jayden tipped his head back, uncorked the vial and swallowed the poison.

**To Be Continued**

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	8. The Chrono Disk

**Author's Note: **Only one more chapter after this!

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Eight

**The Chrono Disk**

Jayden waited for his throat to burn or his stomach to burst. He prayed that his death would be quick and that he would see his father's face when he opened his eyes.

The sensation began near his heart. It was neither painful nor comfortable. Jayden decided that it felt like warm sand rolling down his veins. A billion microscopic grains of something indefinable congregated on the left side of his abdomen. Jayden pulled up his red shirt and watched – astounded – as the wound from Deker's sword healed in seconds. The stitches fell out and the skin shifted from purple to peach. There wasn't even a scar.

Other Jayden sighed in disappointment. "Congratulations, Red Ranger," he said in a bored voice. "You passed the tests. You are worthy to wield the Sealing Symbol power." The being nodded at the marble floor beneath Jayden's sneakers. The Ranger looked down and saw a symbol shaped like a fence with a series of chains braided through it. Instantly he pictured how the image in his head would fit with its other half. The Sealing Symbol was complex. It required two dozen strokes at very precise angles. If Jayden drew a 30-degree angle instead of a 27, the power wouldn't work. No wonder his father failed!

"Here, take this." Other Jayden lifted his hand into the air and a red power disk descended from the ceiling. Although there was no spin sword through the center, the disk spun lightning-fast in a counter-clockwise direction. When it landed in Other Jayden's palm it stopped. Jayden suddenly felt nauseous. He gripped his stomach and bent his knees as if absorbing the shocks from an earthquake. His fellow Rangers groaned – Mike's face even turned green. "Feels like whiplash on a speed boat, huh?" Other Jayden said.

"The disk did that?" Jayden asked when the room stopped swaying. "What… what power does it have?"

"This is the Chrono Disk. It has the ability to alter time." Other Jayden placed the disk in the Red Ranger's hand. "If you spin it clockwise, it moves the clock forward. It causes everything and everyone in your vicinity to experience time at ten times the normal speed. And if you spin it counter clockwise –"

"Time goes ten times slower?"

"Precisely."

Jayden frowned. "It was spinning counter clockwise just now. Has time slowed down for us?"

Other Jayden's lips curled into an impressed expression. "How long do you estimate you've been in this cave?"

"An hour. Ninety minute at most."

"It's been almost 72 hours."

"_Three days_?" Jayden gasped. "I… why did you do that? You could've just told me what the disk does. You didn't have to show me!"

Other Jayden shrugged. "I do it this way to demonstrate the immense power of this disk. There's a reason why it hasn't been passed down from generation to generation like the others. It's too dangerous, to easily misused. Too much power for a man to have… unless he has proven himself worthy."

"I could've put this to good use months ago. Years, even." Jayden carefully pocketed the disk. "Why give it to me now?"

Other Jayden's expression softened. For a moment he almost looked… sympathetic. "You'll realize why soon enough." He turned back to Antonio, Mia, Emily, Mike and Kevin. "As for you five, you'll find that all of your morphers work perfectly now. Consider it a bonus. You're not the only ones who want Jayden to succeed, you know. If the Netherworld is permanently sealed then I'll be released from this sadistic version of a prison." He turned back to Jayden. "Go get 'em, kid."

Jayden heard a door open behind him. There was sunlight and the fresh smell of a sea breeze behind it. When he turned back, the doppelganger was gone.

The shackles holding the Rangers against the wall released. Mia jumped into Jayden's arms and kissed him. When their lips parted they stared into each other's eyes and nuzzled their noses and foreheads together. "Are you all right?" Jayden whispered. "Did he hurt you?"

Mia didn't bother to keep her quivering lower lip still. "Did you know that wasn't poison? Did you know that when you drank it?"

Jayden shook his head. "No." He took a few strands of her hair and glided his fingers down them.

"Let's get out of here," Mia begged.

Kevin and Mike were already walking out the door. "Guys!" the Green Ranger called. "This is where we came in! There's the Lion Zord and… and…" Mike gave an audible gulp. "Oh my god…"

"Jayden!" Kevin yelled. "You need to see this!"

Jayden took Mia's hand and led the way with Antonio and Emily on their heels. The moment they completely exited the cave, the door shut, sealed, and disappeared into nothing but camouflage on the side of the cliff. Jayden didn't need to ask why Kevin and Mike sounded so concerned. A lot had happened in three days. From their vantage point, the Power Rangers saw both the city and the beaches. The rivers and ocean – the _entire_ ocean - were blood red, tainted by toxic Sanzu River water. Columns of black smoke rose from burning buildings in tornado-shaped funnels. Fender-to-fender lines of honking cars crowded every road out of the city. The only sounds louder than the roaring Moogers were the screams of their victims.

Emily grasped Mike's upper arm with both hands. "Oh, those poor people," she whispered.

"The Nighlock saw the Zord. They knew we were in the cave. They knew they could attack without interference," Antonio said with awe in his voice.

"I can't believe this…" Kevin said. "Are we… are we too late?"

"Actually, you're right on time!" a new voice shouted. They looked at the Zord and saw two figures climbing onto its nose. Serrator and Deker (in his Nighlock form). Within moments Moogers popped out from behind rocks and bushes and the Power Rangers found five hundred lasers pointing at their chests.

It was an ambush.

Jayden forced Mia to stand behind him. His face was as red as the ocean. To everyone's shock – good and evil alike – the Red Ranger addressed Deker. "I told you he would double-cross you!" Jayden shouted. "He promised to make you human again. Surprise – you're still a Nighlock. Who's your enemy, now?"

"Red Ranger!" Serrator shouted, cutting off any response Deker had. "Look around you. Your city is burning. Your mentor is dead. Your friends will be killed shortly. Come quietly now and I'll personally see to it that your deaths are swift and painless."

"I never understood why villains think that's a good thing," Antonio muttered under his breath.

"I vote for _no_ death," Mike added.

Jayden saw that their morphers were in their hands. Pride filled him with courage. "This is it, team," he said. "It's time to end this. I need you to hold them off long enough for me to seal the Netherworld."

"You'll die," Emily sobbed. "We all heard your secret, Jayden. You'll die."

Jayden didn't deny it. He also didn't reply. He pointed his Samuraizer at the cliff face and used his symbol power to open a portal. A gap, red as an open wound, appeared in mid-air. It led to the Netherworld. Jayden's one-way trip to the Netherworld. Jayden opened his mouth to say something when Serrator suddenly screamed. Rangers and Moogers looked down at the Zord and watched the Nighlock tumble to the sand, pierced by Deker's sword. Deker transformed back into a man, spit on the dead Nighlock, then raised his face and nodded at Jayden. Jayden was about to nod back when Serrator exploded into his second form as a fifty-story monster. He roared and dropped-kicked Deker into the red ocean. Even the Moogers shuddered at the sight of him.

There was little to no time. Jayden saw everything at once: the colossal Nighlock bearing down on them, the dying civilians, the Sanzu River, the burning buildings the half-terrified, half-determined looks on his friends faces. "Zords," he ordered them. "Hold them off for as long as you can." He wrapped his right arm around Mia's shoulders and patted Antonio's shoulder. "I have to go – now," he whispered. "I'm the only one who can stop this."

"Jayden…" Mia began. He kissed her, effectively silencing every word and thought. "I love you," Jayden told her. And then he unsheathed his morpher, transformed and, without looking back, dove through the gap into the Netherworld…

…and right into Master Xandred's grip.

**To Be Continued**

**Author's Note: **Confession - I teared up a little when I wrote the end of this chapter. Review if you did, too!


	9. Into the Netherworld

**Destined for Death**

PenPatronus

Chapter Nine

**Into the Netherworld**

Master Xandred lifted Jayden into the air by his throat and fireflies of colors clouded the Red Ranger's vision. He wrapped both gloved hands around the Nighlock's arm but it was as steady as a column of stone. His full weight pulled on his neck when he fumbled around for his sword. With a wordless cry he swung at Xandred's midsection and followed the sword thrust with a kick. Xandred grunted. His grip loosened and Jayden flipped backwards out of his reach. The gravel he landed on felt warm even through his boots. The red sand was littered with boulders of all sizes and just off shore, on the Sanzu River yet somehow part of it, was an enormous ship. No spectators emerged. No Moogers appeared. Everyone was busy destroying the city. Jayden had Master Xandred all to himself – and vice versa.

"Welcome to your grave, Red Ranger," Xandred growled, and his voice rippled the water beside him. "How would you like your death to go? Would you prefer to be skewered by my sword or drowned in the river?"

Jayden squinted at the armored section where he'd hit Xandred. There wasn't even a splinter, let alone any legitimate damage done. That was the point, he realized. Master Xandred couldn't be killed, only contained. Jayden just had to hold him off long enough to draw the Sealing Symbol. And then it would all be over. Xandred could drown him for all he cared. He had no time to…

_Time_.

Jayden's stomach dropped to his toes. Time. If only he had more _time_. He'd almost forgotten that he _did_! He remembered Other Jayden explaining how the Chrono Disk worked: clockwise to speed time up, counter clockwise to slow it down.

Master Xandred was impatient, like any super-villain diva. "I could snap your neck or bury you under a ton of rock. Or I could slash your throat and watch you bleed to death slowly. Like your father."

Jayden saw red, and not just because of the Sanzu River. He thought about how scared his dad must have been. He remembered Ji collapsing in front of the burning Shiba House.

And he remembered the feeling of Mia's lips against his, and all of the love behind it.

Suddenly, for the first time in his life, Jayden not only had a reason to live but the means to avoid his destiny. He slid the red Chrono Disk onto his sword. "I'm not going to die here, today," Jayden declared to Xandred. "This is _your_ tomb."

Master Xandred roared and charged him, head down, like a bull. Jayden made the same sound and also lowered his shoulder. Their swords met with an echoing clang, and the duel began. Jayden had the training, but Xandred had the strength. The Nighlock's thrusts and parries were ferocious. He wasn't playing with his prey any longer. He was giving no quarter. Neither was Jayden.

Xandred shouldered his sword like a baseball bat and swung it up at Jayden instead of down. Jayden tried to block it but the blade hit his forearm. His Samurai sword – including the red disk – sailed through the air and landed in the Sanzu River. Jayden remembered the Sanzu water burning Mia's hair. Even the smell of it caused human eyes to water. Jayden prayed that his armor would protect him, and he dove into the water.

He wasn't expecting a current. The river took the sword on a ride beneath the Nighlock ship. Jayden kicked with all of his might and caught the handle just before it disappeared into deeper waters where no light could reach. He swam to the surface and grabbed onto the side of the rocking ship. Oxygen reinvigorated his senses and Jayden realized that not only had his wrist been broken by Xandred's sword but the river was _eating_ his uniform. He started to climb up the side of the ship when a claw wrapped around his ankle and dragged him back down. Xandred. The Nighlock was at home in the water. He swam with the grace of a dolphin but his whale-like weight made him slow. Jayden squirmed out of his grasp and kicked for the surface. Xandred followed at full speed, a snarl on his face and a roar audible even through the water.

Jayden managed to time it just right. As soon as Xandred was in range he planted his feet against the underside of the boat and pushed himself away. The Nighlock rammed into the wooden ship like a torpedo. Wood cracked and a thousand splinters dropped into the water, obscuring the duelers' vision. Jayden grinned when the Nighlock's weight and speed worked against him. The boat began to sink around him. Xandred was stuck under his own ship.

What was left of Jayden's uniform disintegrated when he was still a few feet from dry land. The toxic river water soaked every pore on his body and Jayden screamed when second-degree burns erupted across his skin. He crawled onto the shore and collapsed in the sand. Drops of water that still clung to his street clothes caused a hundred blisters that hurt so bad that Jayden thought he was going to lose consciousness. "Get up," he ordered himself, "_Get up_!" Jayden dragged himself toward the portal that still hung in the air. He glimpsed a scene through the gap: the Zords battling the giant Serrator… and losing. He was the last chance for everyone and everything.

Jayden lifted his sword and began to draw the Sealing Symbol. His hand shook with pain so he had to start over several times because the lines were crooked. He summoned every ounce of strength in himself. He sensed that generations of Samurai were rooting for him just out of sight.

The Power burst out of him and the fence-shaped symbol wrapped around the portal. Two things happened at that moment, then: Xandred leapt from the water and Jayden spun the Chrono disk counter-clockwise. He shut his eyes and waited for the Nighlock blade to pierce him.

He opened one eye a moment later, and the other a moment after that. "Oh, wow," Jayden gasped.

He was the only thing in the Netherworld immune from the snail-slow pace of time. Xandred appeared to be falling in slow motion. Grains of sand hovered as if in a snow globe. The portal and Sealing Symbol shimmered with a hundred colors Jayden couldn't describe. He pulled himself to his feet and wondered how quickly he appeared to move from Xandred's point of view.

Suddenly the Symbol Power yanked Serrator through the portal. The moment he entered the Netherworld he fell victim to the slow time. He sailed over Jayden's head like a lazy kite, followed directly by a thousand other Moogers and Nighlock, all of their faces nearly frozen in horror. Time moved normally in the outside world. Jayden saw the other Rangers land their Zords. They climbed up the cliff and stared at the Portal. Jayden couldn't hear them but he was sure that he read their lips correctly. They were yelling his name.

Jayden's body felt a hundred years old. He stumbled towards the portal as if waist-deep in quicksand. Although he wasn't counting the rotations he could feel the disk slowing down. If he wasn't through the portal when it stopped, the symbol power would Seal and strand him there forever. Jayden pushed through curtains of Moogers, ducked under Serrator's gigantic sword and leapt at the portal just as the disk came to a halt.

His own momentum would've sent him flying off the cliff and into a swift death on the rocks below. Luckily, five pairs of open arms waited for him. Antonio, Mia, Kevin, Mike and Emily caught and lowered him gently to the ground. Their yells deafened Jayden and their hands were like sandpaper on his burned skin. Jayden didn't care, though. He twisted around in time to see the portal disappear with a flash of the Sealing Symbol Power. It was over.

Victory was theirs.

**Five Years Later**

"Is Aunt Emily coming?" asked the little boy atop Jayden Shiba's shoulders.

"Yes, Ji," Jayden said. "Serena and Uncle Mike, too."

His son grabbed his hair and shook it like the reins of a horse. "'Tonio?"

Mia, who walked with one hand protectively around her pregnant belly, smiled up at Ji and said, "Antonio and Kevin and all of the kids are all coming, Ji-Ji. Antonio's newborn is only a week old."

The 3-year-old grinned and thrust his arms into the air as if he was on a roller coaster. "Reunion!" he yelled. "Happy, happy reunion!"

"Yes," Jayden chuckled. "It's the anniversary of Mentor Ji's death. We wouldn't be anywhere else, would we?"

"There better not be any Moogers at the Tengen Gate!" Ji made two fists and punched the tree leaves above him.

Mia smiled and took her husband's hand. "Thanks to your dad, there won't be." Jayden squeezed back. His smile was as soft and bright as his heart. His family entered the Tengen Gate memorial and joined the crowd waiting for them.

"Go, go, Samurai!" Ji shouted.

**The End**

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